Making Decisions

“People
can think they’re not carrying the disease when they really are.”

“The
answer to AIDS is safe sex.”

“Postponing
sex till marriage is one of the best decisions a person could make.”

“You
can usually tell if someone has AIDS.”

“If
someone tells you they aren’t infected, then it’s ok to have sex or take
illegal drugs with them.”

“The
Church says sex is always bad.”

“If
you wear a condom, you won’t get AIDS”

“People
who are drinking and using drugs often put themselves in risky and dangerous
situations.”

“You
are a jerk if you refuse to have sex or do drugs with someone.”

“You
could get AIDS for trying something just once.”

Tell
participants that they are to make a line against the wall that shows
how much they agree or disagree with a statement. If they agree with the
statement, they are to stand to your left. If they disagree with the statement,
they are to stand to your right. If they aren’t sure, they are to stand
in the middle. Tell them that the farther they stand to your left the
more they agree and likewise to the right. When they get in their place
have them ask the person on either side of them how much they agree and
disagree. They may need to move to the left or right based upon what they
say.

Map
it Out (20 minutes)

Brainstorm
a variety of situations in which persons might put themselves at risk
of transmitting orbecome
infected with HIV. Ask, how drinking and using other drugs can affect
the spread of the virus.

Using
the answers given, on a large piece of butcher paper have participants
draw out a “map” that shows how HIV can travel and spread from person
to person. You may wish to make the “map” interactive by having participants
stand on a spot and explain how that situation would put a person at risk
of becoming infected and passing on HIV.When the map is completed, point out how complicated this becomes
and how contact with one person, can quickly become contact with dozens
or even hundreds of people.

Making
Tough Choices. (20 minutes)

Have
participants pick a situation from their “map.” Have participants create
presentations that demonstrate the positive choices that person could
have made to avoid transmitting the disease. For example, if the person
was at a party where people were doing drugs, the person instead of doing
the drugs could have said no, or if the person was at a gym and was offered
injectable steroids, he or she could have refused.

At
the end of the presentation, ask, “What would be some of the consequences
of his/her decision?” Try to get positive and negative consequences. [Positive:
He/She didn’t become infected with the virus and won’t die of AIDS; Negative:
[He/she might be ostracized at school, they might lose friends, etc.]
Now ask, “Looking at both sets of consequences, which one is easier to
live with?” Don’t expect a “correct” answer. Again, allow for discussion.

Remind
participants that saying No once doesn’t necessarily mean No forever.
When you say No, you are postponing sex or alcohol use not making a lifelong
decision. Each time you get into a potentially risky situation you will
have to decide to say NO again!

Your decision, however, will have life-long consequences. The
choice you make at that moment will have a direct effect on your decision
next time. Saying, “no” now can make it easier to say, “no” later and
not saying “no” now will definitely make it harder to say, “no” later.

And
the Church says . . . (10 minutes)

Discuss
the following:

·What do you think is the Church’s teaching about the behaviors
that transmit HIV and AIDS (sex and IV drugs)? Divide participants into
groups and assign each group one of the following citations:

Sections

The Orthodox Church in America

The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”